Folding ironing board



Dec. 13, 1932. J BERG 1,890,448

FOLDING IRONING BOARD Filed May 27, 1931 2 STeets-S ee 1 5 7% It i L W) Q 1 Fl 3 19+ H23 21/ u 1i 7325 J J I W J [NV TOR WmninW" i MATTORNEYJ Deg. 13, 1932. 1', BERG 1,890,448

FOLDING IRONING BOARD Filed May 27, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MT: M nut ll mmi TORNEYJ Patented Dec. 13, 19 32 i 4 UNITED STATES sonar. EEEG, or PEQUANNOCK, NEW JERSEY FOLDING mama BOARD Application filed May 27, 1931'. Serial No. 540,303,

This invention relates to that class of ironing boards which are adapted to'be folded outof the way when not in use, and the invention has particular reference to anironing board of this type'which may be contained in a recess or cavity in the wall ofa kitchen .or'

other room, so that while the board may be extended beyond the wall and supported in I a horizontal operative position when in use, it may also be folded to an upright inoperative position and housed wholly within the recess, and the latter may if desired, be closed byadoor. Q

The objects of the invention are toprovide an ironing board of this type, which will be compact in form so as to occupy little space when folded out of use; in which .provision is made for supporting the board when extended for use, in different positions of vertical adjustment; inwhich either end of the board may be presented for use as desired; and'in which either side of the board may likewise be presented for use as desired; and

. in thespecification to follow the invention will be described in detail, and the novel features thereof will be pointed out in the appended claims. v I In the accompanying drawingsti Fig. 1 is a vertical central'sectional elevation of the improved ironingboard structure, the ironing board being shown in extended horizontal position for use; V

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the board folded to an upright inoperative position; 3 is a front elevation oftheparts in the position shown in Fig. 1; I Fig. 4 Ba horizontal sectional plan view on the line .H of Fig. 3;

, Fig. 5 is a horizontal section, on an enlarged scale, through one sideof the board on theline 5-5 of Fig. 4, showing the form of the pivotal connection of the upper ends of the links with the ironing board; I Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on an enlarged scale on the line 6 6'of Fig. 3 showing the formof the releasable locking device for holding the board in its different positions of vertical adjustment. a 1

Referring to the drawings: "The operative parts of the deviceare mounted in and carriedby a sustaining fram" or casing 1, comprising a back wall 2, side walls 3, and upper and lower end'walls :4, v

the front of the casing being closed by a door 5, as indicated in Fig; 4. Q t T 1 The frame or casingl is adapted to be fixedly secured in'an'uprigh't position in a recess or cavity in the wall of the room in which'the structure is to be installed, and with the ironing board'folded in upright, po-

sition, aswill be presently described,it will,

be contained wholly within the casing and the door '5 thereof will close over the front of the same flush with the surface of the wall, thereby entirely concealing the board and connected parts from View.

Situated between" the side walls sustaining frame is a supporting member, in the present instance consisting of a block 7 and two legs .or bars 8 depending from the ends thereof, which supporting member; is

3 of the adjustablejup and down in guides von the 7 frame. These guides are constituted in the present instance by the rear wall 2 of the frame and vertical beads 9 on the inner sides of the sidewalls near their front, between which the block 7 is guided, and bystrap loops 110 projecting inwardly from the side walls ofthe casing near its lower end through whichlstrap loops the bars S'eXtend andv are guided,

'An ironingiboard 11 is pivotally connected at i'ts'end, in the manner to be, more particularlydescribed hereinafter, tothe' block 7 ona horizontal transverse axis as at 12,"so that' the board may be extended horizontally in operative position for use, as shown in.

Figs.'1, 3 aud t, or maybe folded or swung upwardly to an upright in perative position, i

when out of use, as shownin Fig.7 2. V

A retaining or safety chain 28can ex tendedacross the upwardly swung board as indicated in Fig. 3.

The board 11 is supported when extended in operative position,'by means of two links 13 pivoted at their upper ends as at 14, in the manner described in detaillateron, to the opposite side edges of the board, and pivoted at theirlower ends, as at 15 toa slideor cross brace'f16'formed at its'en'dswith collars 17 if loosely surrounding and movable up and down on the bars 8 of the supporting member, suitable stop devices 18 being applied to the bars in position to be engaged by the col-,

lars and thus limit the downward movement of the slide and thereby support the ironing board in horizontal position.

From" the foregoing description, it will be understood that with the board extended in -horizontal operative position as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4:, it willbewsupported the I links 13 through the medium of the slide 16.

I resting on the stop devices 18, and'from-this position 'thefboard may be'folded to upright inoperative vposition by swinging the same upwardly-t the. position shown in Fig. 2,'in-- V which position all of the operative parts, will be wholly contained within the casing or,

frame 1, the slide 16 in .this folding operation J moving "upwardly' onithe bars 8 'to its upper position as shown. 5 V

W Delete the movable mounting of the supportingmember 6 in the guides on'the sustaining frame as described, the ironing board whenextended may be set at different ver tical adjustments or levels in order'to adapt the board for use by persons of different heights, or to enable the user to sitin a chair while using the board. To hold the board in its different positions ofadjustment, a locking device is provided which iscarried by the bars 8, 8 and is adapted to engage at difl'erent points in'the height of the side walls of 'the'casing, so as to hold the supporting member at different levelslrelative thereto. I'nthe present instance this locking device is'in theform oftwo latch bolts 19'mounted in horizontal guiding openings in the bars 8 of; the supportingmember, and acted on by leaf springs-20 fixed to said bars and tending to project the latches outwardly to active po sition toengage in any one of'a seriesofholes 21, etc, formed .inthe side walls 3 ofthe frame lor in strips 7 attached to the walls, as shown in Fig.6. These latch bolts are connected together by a chain .22 which, by

the pressure of the finger thereon, may be operated to retract the bolts against the force of the springs and disengage the same from the holes 21; thereby freeing the supporting member-and permitting the same to be moved to the d'esired 'height, after which by releasing the chain, thesprings will project the locking bolts to reengage the holes; 7

The ironing board as shown in Fig. 4, is of tapering'form, being wider at oneend than at the other, and in the position of the parts shown in'this figure, the narrower end of i the board is presented for use, while the wider endiis connected pivotally with the supporting member, as hereinbefore described. In order however, that, as occasion may demand, the wider end of the board may be presented for; use rovisionis made for reversin the posit on vof-the board and presenting 1ts 1,890,448 Q; i 'ii,

wider end for use, and this is effected by forming the pivotal connection of the board .with the supporting member, so thatthis conneotion may be detached at will, whereupon the board may be turned around to its reverse position'on the axis of the pivots of the upper ends of the supporting links. A form 'of pivotal connectionto effect this object is best shown in F ig; 1, where it will be seen that there is fixed in each end of the board aplug .28, to each of.whi'ch.plugs 1s pivoted a plate 24 formed in its end with a hole adapted to seat overa bolt projecting upwardly from the u'pper side of theblock and having screwed thereona thumb nut 25. With the plate confined on the bolt-by thenut as shown in Fig.1, theboard is supported soijthat it can be swung up and down on the-pivotal axis 12 of the-plate with theplugj .In reversing the positionof the board from that shown in Fig. 1, the thumb nut is unscrewed from the bolt so as to release theplate 24, andthe boa-rd is then free tobe turned about the axis of the supporting links,- thereby bringing the outer end ofthe boardto position over the block 7, "andthe'gplate at that end of the board being passed over the bolt, the thumb nut is again screwed down so as to'confine the plate in position asbefore. In thisre- I versalof the ironing board end for end, there occurs also a reversal of the side of the board,

ing the same end forend'as just described,

and to effect this object, the upper ends of the links l3'are connected'to the side edges of the board in such a manner that theymay be detached andthereby permit the board to be turned "over. A form of connection for effecting this object is shown in detail in Fig.

5, wherefit willbe seen-that a boss 26is fixed in "each'side' edge of the board, which bosses project outwardly ashort distance from; said edges and arethreadedinte'riorly to receive 7 confining screws 27. I'lhe ends ofthe links are formed with holes toseat loosely'over the "bosses,and by screwing the screws'into .the

bosses, the links 'will belconfined thereon. while. by the removal of the screws, the links may be readily detached to disengage the board. It will be understood that'inthis operation, it will be necessary alsoflto disconj-V nect the pivotal 'plate24 at the innerjendof the board from the'bolton the supporting member, and when the board has been turned over to its new position, this plate-is again thumb screw. I

seated over the boltand'j confined by the" It will be seen from the as scription --andfl fthe construction illustrated,

that'the ironing board may be adjusted to different vertical heights on the sustaining frame to accommodate persons of difierent heights, or to enable the user to sit while using the'board; and it will be seen also that the ironing board may be reversed end for end so as to present either the wider or the narrower end of the board for use; and further, it will be seen that the ironing board may be turned or reversed side for side in order to prevent a new surface of the board for use when the other surface becomes marred or scorched.

In the foregoing description and accompanying drawings, the" invention has been set forth in the particular detailed form and relation of the parts which have been found in practice to answer to a satisfactory degree the ends to be attained. It will be manifest however, that the construction may be changed or modified as to these details, withmovable up and downin said guideways,

means for releasably locking said member indifferent positions of adJllStIIlBIlt in the guideways, an ironing board horizontal pivoted to the supporting member to fold to upright position, a couple of supporting links pivotally connected at their upper ends to stops on said depending portion adapted to be engaged by said cross brace to limit the downward movement of the links and thereby support the ironing board in extended 7 horizontalposition.

In testimony whereof, this specification" has been duly signed by I i v y JOHN T. BERG.-

out departing from the limits of the invention; and further, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular form or construction of the parts, eXceptin so far as such limitations are specified in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is V 1. In combination with a sustaining frame,

an ironing board having a detachable horizontal pivotal connection at one end with said frame to fold to an upright inoperative position, supporting links pivoted at their upper ends to the opposite edges of the board and having sliding connection at their opposite ends with the frame, means for limiting the downward movement of the links to support the board in extended operative position,

whereby by disconnecting the end of the board from the frame, the board may be turned end for end on the pivots of the links, and means for connecting the other end of the board in its reversed position pivotally and detachably with the frame. 7

2. In combination with a sustaining frame, an ironing board having a detachable horizontal pivotal connection at one end with said frame to fold to an upright inoperative position, supporting links pivoted detachably at their upperends to the opposite edges of the board and having sliding connection at their opposite ends with the frame, means for limiting the downward movement of the links and thereby support the board in an extended operative position, whereby by dis-v connecting the board from the frame and detaching the upper ends of the arms therefrom, the board may be reversed side for side, and means for reconnecting the end of the board in its reversed position pivotally and detachably with the frame.

3. In combination with a sustaining frame having upright guideways, a supporting member having a depending portion. and

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